1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and method for supporting Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD), based on a probe speed, for detection and determination of a lesion.
2. Description of Related Art
In the medical field, it is common to examine a patient by analyzing ultrasonic images. Such ultrasonic images allow visualization of internal body structures, such as organs, blood vessels, and muscles. Ultrasound refers to sound waves that have a frequency too high for human beings to hear. Generally, doctors acquire ultrasonic images in real time by putting a probe in contact with a patient's body, known as a transducer. The transducer sends pulses of ultrasound into tissue within the patient's body, and the ultrasound pulses reflect from the interior of the patient's body. Because different types of tissue reflect ultrasound in different ways, by tracking and analyzing the echoes that occur when the ultrasound is reflected, it is possible to produce an image that corresponds to the interior of the patient's body. By reviewing such images, it is possible for a radiologist or another medical professional to detect and determine a lesion or a suspicious area by monitoring the ultrasonic images output on a screen. When an area suspected as a lesion is found, a doctor slowly moves or stops moving the probe to observe the area. By doing so, the probe provides an image of the area of interest. Ultrasonography has advantages over other forms of imaging, in that it can be done in real-time, is relatively inexpensive, and does not involve potentially hazardous radiation. However, ultrasound also potentially has problems imaging structures such as bone, and successful ultrasound imaging requires a skilled operator who is able to position the transducer properly.
A Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) system analyzes an ultrasonic image acquired by a probe, detects a lesion by processing the ultrasonic image, and then either tracks the lesion or implements detection and classification on the lesion with respect to each ultrasonic image. By considering a lesion in this manner, such a CAD system is able to make a determination with respect to the malignancy/benignancy of the lesion. For example, if there is a cancerous growth on a user's organ, a CAD system may be able to determine from considering characteristics of the ultrasound image whether the growth is dangerous or not. Based on such a determination, it may be possible to produce treatment recommendations, such as whether it is appropriate to perform surgery to remove a certain growth, or if chemotherapy or radiation therapy is necessary. However, a CAD system's computing performance plays as a key role in analyzing images. At present, CAD systems require time to process and analyze ultrasound images to derive diagnoses based on the images. The computing demands involved in such systems limit rapid analysis of ultrasonic images acquired by a probe. Hence, diagnoses are not completely convenient because the diagnoses are not available at the time of scanning, but instead must be produced for subsequent use.